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Matrix-acidizing operations have been accounted to be the most hazardous and environmentally harmful among all the well-stimulation techniques. For instance, diesel oil-based emulsified acids have been prohibited from usage due to their high level of toxicity. There is, therefore, a dire need for emulsified acids that are environmentally viable and technically competent to replace the diesel-based emulsified acids. In this study, a novel oil-based environmental friendly emulsified acid has been synthesized from Jatropha curcas oil and, then, compared against diesel and palm oil-based emulsified acids. The technical evaluation of the three acids has been done based on experimental results obtained from thermal stability, droplet size analysis, rheological study, acid solubility, and toxicity screening. In addition, core flooding experiments have been conducted to evaluate the performance of the three emulsified acids as well stimulants. The results revealed that Jatropha oil-based emulsified acid has the potential to replace diesel-based emulsified acid. Jatropha oil-based emulsified acid was found to perform better than the diesel-based emulsified acid as indicated by having greater thermal stability and more popular rheological properties at varying temperatures of ambient, 50 and 70 °C. Furthermore, it possessed a lower toxicity load and a higher retardation effect on acid solubility than that of the diesel oil-based emulsified acid. The core flooding results have also indicated better well-stimulation performance of Jatropha-based emulsified acid as compared with dieselbased emulsified acids.

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This study reviewed and assessed some of the inhibition techniques used in the industry with regards to handling oilfield scales in general and silicates scales in particular. Conventional scale inhibitors used are facing restrictions world over, due to their ecotoxicity and non-biodegradability, which has led to the call for green scale inhibition in the oil and industry. Due to the inefficiency of the conventional primary and secondary recovery methods to yield above 20-40% OOIP, the need for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) techniques to recover a higher proportion of the Oil Originally in Place (OOIP) has become vital. Alkaline/Surfactant/Polymer (ASP) is one of such techniques and has proven successful due to its ability to raise displacement and sweep efficiency. Despite its popularity as a potentially cost-effective chemical flooding method, it is not without (its) problems, one of which is the excessive formation of silicate scales. Silicate scale is a very serious problem in the oil and gas industry; which forms in perforation holes, casing surface, tubing and surface facilities. During an ASP flood, as the flood progresses into the production well, liquid produced from different layers intermingle, leading to a rapid decrease in the pH value of the mixed waters. Other factors such as temperature, pressure, divalent cations present also play some roles, but pH variation plays the major role. These among other factors facilitate precipitation of silicates and its deposition on tubing, surface pipeline, pumps and surface production facilities resulting in excessive production loss; increasing the average work over periods, which influences the production and causes low commercial effectiveness. Green scale inhibitors are considered as alternative scale inhibitors due to their value-added benefits to the environment with respect to the methods of treating oilfield scales. It is recommended that the industry should shift to the green technology as an alternative scale inhibition method so as to protect the environment.